Lisa's Pony

"Lisa's Pony" is episode eight of the The Simpsons' third season. The episode aired on November 7, 1991.

Synopsis

Lisa requires a reed for her saxophone because there is a talent show that evening. After calling Marge, Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Patty and Selma and "the nice man who caught the snake in our basement", she finally calls Homer at work. Homer agrees but goes into Moe's before the music shop, which is right next door. The shop closes in 5 minutes. Homer, thinking he has enough time to drink the beer, enters Moe's. He walks out with 15 seconds to spare but is too late as the shop is closed. Dejected, he goes back to Moe's where the shop owner is enjoying a drink. Moe helps Homer convince the man to re-open his store. Homer, who barely remembers what he is supposed to pick up for Lisa, purchases the reed and heads for the school. Unfortunately he is still late. He arrives just in time to hear Lisa humiliate herself by butchering the song she chose to play.

To make Lisa love him again, Homer takes out a shifty loan from Burns. He purchases a pony for Lisa, despite objections from Marge. In order to pay for all the care it requires, Homer takes a second job working for Apu at the Kwik-E-Mart. Homer becomes more and more exhausted after trying to work both jobs. Finally, Marge admits to the kids that their father has been working two jobs to pay for the pony. Making a heart-wrenching decision, Lisa agrees to give up the pony, allowing Homer to go back to solely working his regular job. Lisa tells Homer that there's a "big dumb animal" she loves even more than her horse, that being Homer himself.